Mold fixture



F. O. GORMAN March 7, 1939.

MOLD FIXTURE Filed 061;. 26, 1935 TWE NTR (J (9. BY lawn 2m M ATTORNEY;

Patented Mar. 7, 1939 PATENT OFFICE MOLD FIXTURE Fay 0. German, East Moline, 111., assignor to Deere & Company, Moline, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 26, 1935, Serial No. 46,862

9 Claims.

. ture, together with the cooperating mold chamber provision of a support for the wheel and mold forming segments, the latter being free to separate after the wheel and hub assembly has been ejected from the fixture.

Another object of'the present invention is the chamber forming elements particularly arranged in a position facilitating the casting and ejecting operations, and the handling of the completed wheel, especially where the wheels are of a relatively large diameter, such as wheels for rakes and similar agricultural machines.

A furtherobject of the present invention is the provision of new and improved means for clamping the various sections of the hub forming mold in position, which is so constructed and arranged that the mold elements may be quickly and conveniently clamped in position with a single operation without the use of clamping wedge and the like, which are objectionable in that considerable time is consumed after the casting has been completed in loosening the clamping wedges and removing the mold segments from. the completed wheel. g p

A further object of the present invention lies inthe use of the clamping mechanism for ejecting the completed wheel and hub assembly after the formation of the hub has been completed.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the artlafter a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred form of thepresent invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section taken substantially midway through the improved mold fixture;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken substantially along the line 22 of Figurel; and Figure 3is' an enlarged fragmentary perspective, illustrating the quick'detachable connection between the cope forming wheel hub member and I the, clamping and ejecting mechanism.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference numeral 1 indicates the base of the fixture from the forward portion of which extend leg portions 2. The base portions I and 2 are preferably parts of a support in the form of a casting 3 that includes a central hub section 4 and a continuous flange or circular rim section 5 joined to the hub 4 by generally radially extending arms 6. The arms may include suitable reenforcing webs I, and integrally connected with the hub 4 and the webs l is a flange section 8.

In order to dispose the work in the most advantageous and accessible position to the molder, the wheel receiving flange section 5 is disposed in a plane which is inclined slightly from the vertical, as best shown in Figure 1. Hereafter, most machines of this general type have been provided with a generally horizontal work table. In order to maintain the parts in the position as shown, the base and Work receiving portion are provided with a back leg in which is formed at its upper end with a spacing collar section 1 2 and a flanged portion l3 bolted, as at l4, to the flange 8. The collar section [2 is also provided with a rear cylinder receiving flange l6, which will be referred to later.

The wheel, about the inner spoke ends of which the hub is to be cast, is indicated by the reference numeral and as received by the molder comprises a rim 2| and radially inwardly extending spokes 22. grooves are disposed about the flange portion 5 of the fixture frame so as to accommodate various sized wheels for maintaining the rim 2! of the wheel and the spokes 22 in accurate concentric relation with respect to the axis of the mold fixture flange or rim 5.

The hub forming mold proper is preferably similar to the mold disclosed and claimed in the patent to William A. Hyland, No. 1,877,323, issued September 13, 1932, but according to the principles of the present invention certain of the elements shown in the aforesaid patent have been eliminated. The hub forming mold comprises a stationary member rigidly secured to the central portion of the support 3 and is provided with Pads 25 with spoke end receiving 5 an opening 3| adapted to be disposed in axial registration with an opening 32 formed in the sleeve section 4 of"=the support 3. Preferably, bolts 35 or the like are supplied for fixing the stationary member in position. The stationary member 30 is r provided with a plurality of axially directed fingers' 31 which are adapted to be disposed between the inner ends of the spokes 22 and which are provided with outwardly diverging inner edges, as best shown in Figure 1. The stationary member 3% receives an end chill 40, which is also provided with a central opening somewhat smaller in diameter than the diameter of the opening iii in the stationary member 30. The fingers 31 of the member 3! also receive intermediate sectional chills d2, 43 and 44, these parts being assembled around the inner ends of the spokes 22 in the manner disclosed in the aforesaid I-Iyland patent.

The removable cope disclosed in the aforesaid patent has been eliminated and, instead, a preformed wheel hub member 47 is employed, being formed in the illustrated construction with a ratchet flange 48. The hub member 41 is provided with a tubular shank or axle receiving section 59 which is tapered and which has the smaller end thereof threaded, as at 5!. An annular shoulder or flange 52 is formed on the section 48 and is provided with notches to accommodate the adjacent spoke ends and, at the same time, bears on the outer of the chill sections 44.

A cylinder 66 is disposed on the back side of the mold fixture and is clamped in position be tween a head 6! and a base 62 by long bolts 63 which engage the head iii and pass through suitable apertures formed in the base 62 and in the flange it. When the bolts 63 are tightened, the cylinder Gil is firmly secured in position. A piston 85 is mounted for reciprocation within the cylinder 69 and is mounted on a piston rod 56 which terminates forwardly of the mold fixture in a plunger 68 movably mounted in the openings iii and 32. A bushing 69 is preferably disposed in the opening 32.

Removably mounted on the forward end of the plunger 58 is an extension in the form of a pin or stud l I which is of a relatively smaller diameter than that of the plunger 58. The member H is screw threaded into the outer end of the plunger 68 and is adapted to fit the internal bore of the pre-fabricated hub shank iii of the cope-forming member 4i. Adjacent the portion of the plunger tit receiving the threaded end of the stud l l, the plunger 68 is formed with a recessed portion having a diameter sufficient to embrace the inner threaded end of the shank 56 so as topermit the hub member 4? to telescope therein a distance sufiicient to dispose the threaded end 5! thereof free of the limits of the molding chamber defined by the chill ii The central opening in the latter member is adapted to cooperate with the external surface of the shank 50 so as to close the adjoining end of the molding chamber. Also, the diameter of the opening in the chill 40, being smaller than the diameter of the plunger 68, presents to the latter an annular portion which is adapted to be engaged by the plunger 68 when the latter is forced outwardly in the ejecting operation as will be referred to later.

The foremost end of the extension stud H is provided with a groove il (Figure 3) to receive a locking clip it which is adapted to bear against the adjacent surface of the cope forming member 4?, whereby the latter is locked on the member 'H. One of the end chills M is provided with a suitable gate 853 registering with an opening 3! formed in the annular shoulder 52 of the copeforming member ll.

In operation, the plunger 68 is advanced slight- 1y forwardly or outwardly from the position shown in Figure 1 by introducing air under pressure hrough the connection 82, and then the end chill id is passed over the stud l! and seated in the bottom of the stationary member 30. Next the wheel rim 2i and suspended spokes 22 are placed in the flange 5, the pad members 25 being placed to bring the wheel rim 2| to a true concentric relation with respect to the axis of the drag 30 and the movable plunger 68. In this operation, the inner ends of the spokes 22 pass in between the generally axially directed fingers 31 on the stationary member 30. The intermediate chills or mold chamber forming members 42, 43 and 44 are then successively arranged within the fingers 3'! of the member 3!) and about the free inner ends of the spokes 22. Next the prefabricated hub or cope forming member 41 is placed on the stud extension ii and pushed inwardly so as to dispose the threaded end 5! in the recess in the outer end of the plunger 68 and so as to clear the groove El and permit the attachment of the locking clip it. In performing this operation, the opening 8! in the flange 52 is brought into registration with the gate opening 80. Then air or other fluid under pressure is admitted through the connection 83, causing the piston to move to the left and bearing the cope forming member 47 tightly against the outer mold chamber forming element 44, holding all of the elements 42, 43 and 44 in rigid clamped relation, ready for the pouring operation. Upon completion of the latter, the plunger 68 is forced outwardly in the other direction by releasing the pressure in the line 33 and introducing pressure into the connection 82. The outer end of the plunger 68 engages the inner portion of the. chill 40, and continued movement of the plunger outwardly pushes all of the mold forming elements and the assembled wheel free of the fingers 31 of the stationary member 38. Upon disengagement of the latching clip E8, the completed wheel may be dislodged from the fixture and the hub castings liberated from the chills 38, 32, 43 and M.

If desired, the use of a preformed wheel hub member for the cope of the mold may be eliminated and sand cores used instead, in substantially the same manner as set forth in the above mentioned I-Iyland patent, it merely being necessary to make the central cores hollow to receive the plunger stud extension H and providing a suitable clamping member to transmit the clamping pressure from the clip 68 to the assembled mold elements.

Thus, while I have shown and described above the preferred form in which the principles of the present invention have been embodied, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in carrying out the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mold fixture, the combination of a support having an opening therein, a member carried by said support about said opening and having parts extending in a direction generally axially of said opening, a plunger movable in said opening, mold chamber forming elements carried by said member about said opening and held in place radially of the axis of said opening by said generally axially extending parts, one of said elements having a portion disposed in axial alignment with said plunger, and means establishing a releasable connection between said plunger and said one element, whereby the plunger may be actuated for clamping the chamber forming elements within said parts.

2. In a mold fixture for casting the hub of wheels of relatively large diameter, the combination of a support having a wheel receiving portion, the plane of which is disposed in a gener- 2.149,sso

ally vertical position but inclined slightly from the vertical, means including a plurality of mold elements carried by the central portion of said support for casting the hub of said wheel, there being an opening formed in the central portion of said support in axial alignment with said hub casting elements, and a mold ejecting device carried on the back side of, said support and including a plunger movable in said opening and adapted to engage certain of said elements for ejecting the completed hub and wheel after the casting operation has been completed.

3. In a mold fixture, the combination of a support having a generally centrally disposed opening therein, a stationary member carried by said support and having a central opening registering with the opening in said support and generally outwardly diverging retaining fingers, a plurality of mold chamber forming elements carried by said stationary member within said fingers in assembled relation, means for clamping said elements together, and means carried by said support and including a movable part disposed in the opening in the latter for ejecting said elements from said stationary member after the casting is completed.

4. In a mold fixture, the combination of a support having an opening therein, a stationary member carried by said support in fixed relation about said opening, said stationary member having an opening in line with the opening in said support, a plurality of mold chamber forming elements carried in assembled relation on said member and including a cope member closing the outer end of the chamber formed by said elements and cooperating therewith in the casting operation, said cope member. including a central shank extending into the opening in the stationary member, clamping mechanism including a plunger operatively disposed in the opening in said support and carrying means engageable with said cope for clamping said mold chamber forming elements in position.

5. In a mold fixture, the combination of a support having an opening therein, a stationary member fixedly secured to said support and including an opening registering with the opening in the latter, a plurality of mold chamber forming elements carried by said stationary member and including a cope member having an inwardly directed shank extending inwardly beyond the innermost of said elements, the shank of said cope member having an opening therein, and a clamping mechanism comprising a fluid actuated plunger movable in the openings in said support and stationary member and including a member adapted to be disposed in the shank portion of said cope member and having a quick detachable connection with the latter.

6. In a mold fixture, the combination of a support having an opening in the central portion thereof, a stationary member secured to the support and having an opening registering with the opening in said support, a plunger movable in said openings, a cylinder carried on the back side of said support and having a piston operatively disposed therein and connected with said plunger, a plurality of mold chamber forming elements carried by said member in operative relation with respect thereto, a preformed wheel hub member engageable with the outer of said mold chamber forming elements and serving in connection therewith as a cope, said wheel hub member including a shank having an axle receiving opening therein and extending in axial alignment with respect to said plunger, the latter having an opening in its outer end to receive the inner end of said hub member, and a stud carried by and movable with said plunger to receive said hub member in detachable relation.

7. In a mold fixture, the combination of a stationary support and a stationary member rigidly secured thereto, said support and member having a plunger receiving opening therein, piston and cylinder means carried upon said support and including a plunger movable in said openings, mold chamber forming elements carried by said stationary member and serving to form a chamber having anopening therethrough in line with the opening in said stationary member and support, the inner of said elements having an opening therein of a diameter smaller than the diameter of said plunger, and means serving as a cope member extending through said chamber for cooperating with said elements and detachably connected with said plunger, the latter being adapted to engage the inner of said elements so as to eject said elements and the cope member from the stationary member.

8. In a mold fixture, the combination of a flanged wheel rim receiving support having an apertured central portion, a stationary member also having a central aperture and disposed in fixed registering relation with respect to the apertured central portion of said support, axially directed fingers carried by said stationary member and adapted to be disposed between the spokes of said wheel, the inner edges of said fingers diverging outwardly, a fluid pressure actuated plunger movable within the opening in said support and having a reduced stem extending along the axis of said wheel, a preformed wheel hub member having a bearing opening and disposed on said reduced stem, means establishing a detachable connection between said stem and said preformed wheel hub member, whereby the latter moves with said plunger and a plurality of mold chamber forming elements disposed in assembled relation about the inner ends of said spokes and carried by the fingers of said stationary member, movement of said plunger in one direction acting through said wheel hub member as a cope for completing the casting chamber and clamping said mold chamber forming elements in position, movement of said plunger in the other direction after the completion of the casting operation serving to eject said elements and the completed wheel from said fixture.

9. In a mold fixture for casting the hub of wheels of relatively large diameter, the combination of a support, a plurality of mold elements including a preformed wheel hub member, means carried by the central portion of said support to receive said mold elements, there being an opening formed in the central portion of said support in axial alignment with said mold elements, and a mold clamping and ejecting device carried on the back side of said support and including a plunger adapted to be connected to said preformed member and movable in one direction in said opening for clamping said mold elements in position in said support and movable in the other direction to eject the completed hub and wheel after the casting operation has been completed.

FAY O. GORMAN.

i ,f i

CERTIFICATE 'OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,1h.9,559. March I, 1959.

FAY O. GORMAN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, first column, line before the word "invention" insert present; line 29, for "wedge" readwedges; and second column, line 15, for "Hereafter" reed Heretufore; line 19 for "portion" read portions; and that the said Letters Patent shouldbe read with this correction thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of April, A.D. 1959.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

